This invention is directed to an artificial fingernail tip and, in particular, to an artificial fingernail construction which improves the connection of an artificial fingernail tip to a natural nail. In addition, this invention facilitates and shortens the application of the artificial fingernail tip onto the natural nail by making an immediate smooth and attractive connection requiring, at most, a minimum of filing.
Artificial fingernails have enjoyed popularity among women for many years. Women in the habit of nail biting find them beneficial since, in their synthetic plastic resin form, they serve as an enormous preventative. In addition, women with naturally long nails, or who experience difficulty in growing long nails, desire such products when a nail breaks, splits or cracks to guarantee a uniform appearance.
In the current art, two distinct application processes for applying artificial nail tips have been utilized. Nevertheless, both processes have been found to be less than completely satisfactory due, in large measure, to problems inherent in the construction of the nail tip.
In particular, a nail tip molded of plastic resin is glued to approximately one-third of a natural nail using a rapid set adhesive, primarily cyano acrylate. The tip is applied so that it extends to just short of the cuticle area. Accordingly, a difference in the thickness of the nail tip set on top of the natural nail causes a step to form which must be reduced or eliminated to provide an attractive appearance.
After the adhesive sets, in approximately 10 seconds, one of two procedures is followed, both of which include the step:
(1) A blend of acrylic powder and acrylic liquid is brushed on the entire surface between the cuticle and the free edge of the tip of the artificial nail, thereby creating a blending of the thick artificial nail tip to the natural nail, followed by extensive abrasive filing. This procedure is commonly known as nail sculpturing.
(2) A piece of fabric is cut and glued to the artificial nail tip and the natural nail to reenforce the artificial fingernail adhesion and durability. Additional coats of adhesive are put on top of the fabric to serve as a filler to blend the step and aid the connection. This is followed by extensive abrasive filing and adhesive (filler reapplication ) to blend all the disparate contours formed by the thickness of the artificial nail set on top of the natural nail. This procedure is more commonly known as nail wrapping. Nail wrapping represents an improvement over the nail sculpturing because the fabric reenforces the criticial stress point, generally allowing four to six weeks of wear.
Some of the problems associated with both of the conventional techniques discussed above include: Fungus growth due to the need for several thicknesses of acrylic filler or adhesive filler which inhibit the respiratory process; allergic toxicity due to breathing fumes from the use of acrylic filler and adhesives during the lengthy application period; and the time and expertise required to blend the nails with filler and repeated grinding of the disparate contours of the step into a smooth finish. Finally, extensive maintenance is required as the nail grows because the thickness of both acrylic and adhesive filler at the cuticle must be filed down and filled again as the natural nail growth moves the applied tip away from the cuticle resulting in a pronounced step.